The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance is working on solid-state battery technology, that it hopes to bring to market in its plug-in vehicles as soon as 2025.
According to reports in the Financial Times, the electric vehicle giant is developing the next-generation battery technology, which would see EV driving ranges increase and chargine times reduce compared to existing lithium-ion packs.
Other benefits include a longer life and the potential for reduces production costs, but there are a number of problems currently, including the materials used, and testing on a large scale.
However, the industry widely believes that solid-state batteries can provide a jump forward in technology, something that is becoming increasingly difficult with lithium-ion batteries because of its extensive development.
The likes of BMW and Toyota are also working on bringing solid-state EVs to market, and each is projecting a time-scale in the mid- to late-2020s.
Gilles Normand, Renault’s head of electric vehicles, told the Financial Times: “The technology promises huge advantages over current lithium ion batteries in cost, density and thermal stability. There are many challenges, but we are making very good progress with an aim of getting it to market before 2030, and by 2025 if possible.”
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance is the world’s leading automotive group in terms of electric vehicle sales, and the acquisition of Mitsubishi last year saw a fresh effort from the companies to jointly develop plug-in models.
